Coiled spring separator device and method

ABSTRACT

A housing having a chamber for receiving a supply of coiled springs with the housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of the springs. The housing has a separator means for receiving the springs in only a separated condition thereof from the chamber and delivering the same in a serial manner to the exit means. Means are provided for imposing an air flow into the chamber to cause the coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in the chamber that separates the springs and causes an occasional spring to be delivered to the separator means of the housing.

United States Patent Gunter [15] 3,679,097 [451 'July 25, 1972 2.657.812 11/1953 Fox ..221/278 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Assistant Examiner-Gene A. Church AlmrneyAuzville Jackson, Jr.. Robert L. Marben and Candor, Candor & Tassone [57] ABSTRACT A housing having a chamber for receiving a supply of coiled springs with the housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of the springs. The housing has a separator means for receiving the springs in only a separated condition thereof from the chamber and delivering the same in a serial manner to the exit means. Means are provided for imposing an air flow into the chamber to cause the coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in the chamber that separates the springs and causes an occasional spring to be delivered to the separator means of the housing.

20 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJMS m2 3,679,097

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INVENTOR. JAMES C. GUNTER HIS ATTORNEYS COILED SPRING SEPARATOR DEVICE AND METHOD This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically separating coiled springs from a bulk quantity of the same.

It is well known that when small coiled springs are gathered together, the same can intermesh and cling to one another so that it is relatively difficult to individually separate a coiled spring from a bulk quantity thereof.

Therefore, when automated assembling equipment or apparatus is being utilized to assemble devices requiring coiled springs to be inserted in place in the desired location of the automatic assembly line, such coiled springs were either individually made at the proper location so that a coiled spring could be delivered into the hand of an assembler or into anautomatic assembling apparatus to position the spring in place because if the springs tended to cling together, the automatic apparatus could not separate the same and it is time consuming for an operator to separate the springs each time one is needed in the assembly operation.

Accordingly, it is a feature of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically separating and dispensing individual springs from a bulk quantity thereof.

In particular, one embodiment of this invention comprises a housing means having a chamber for receiving the supply of coiled springs, the housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of the springs. The housing means has a separator means for receiving the springs in only a separated condition thereof from the chamber and for delivering the same in a serial manner to the exit means. Means are provided for imposing an air flow into the chamber to cause the coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in the chamber that tends to separate the springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to the separator means so that the same can be serially dispensed from the exit means.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved separator device for coiled springs or the like having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for separating coiled springs or the like, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the improved separator device of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the separator device of FIG. 1 with part of the same being taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view representing the intermingled condition of a bulk quantity of coiled springs adapted to be separated by the device and method of this invention.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter illustrated and described as being particularly adapted to provide separation means for a bulk quantity of coiled springs, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide means for separating other items as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the improved separator device and method of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral and comprises a housing means 11 defined by a bottom wall means 12, opposed side wall means 13 and 14, opposed end wall means 15 and 16 and a top wall means 17 provided with an access opening passing therethrough and adapted to be closed by a cover member 19 hinged to the top wall 17 by suitable hinge means 20 so that an operator can grasp a handle 21 fastened to the cover member 19 to lift the same about the hinge means 20 to insert a supply of coiled springs 22 into a chamber 23 of the housing means 11 that is defined by the wall means 12, I3, 14, 15, 16, 17 and cover member 19 which, when subsequently disposed in its closed position, completely closes the opening 18 as illustrated in FIG. 3 and overlaps the side wall means 13 and 14 at depending side flanges l3 and 14' of the cover member 19. The bottom wall 12, side walls 13 and 14 and end wall 15 of the housing means 11 are substantially flat while the end wall 16 is arcuate and the top wall is angled relative to the horizontal axis of the housing means 11.

The cover member 19 includes a longitudinally disposed spiral wall 24 extending across the width of the same and having a longitudinal slot inlet 25 communicating with the chamber 23 and with an inner longitudinal coil 26 of the wall 24 which leads to an opening or exit means 27 located at one end thereof as illustrated in FIG. 2 so as to provide an exit means for serially dispensing the individual springs 22 in a manner hereinafter described. The exit means 27 is the only opening for air flow from the chamber 23 when the cover member 19 is disposed in its closed position for a purpose hereinafter described.

The spiral wall 24 is so constructed and arranged that the width of the longitudinal slot or opening 25 defined thereby is only slightly larger than the diameter of a single spring 22. For example, the width of the opening 25 of the spiral wall 24 can be of approximately 0.015 of an inch larger than a particular spring with such width being 0.390 of an inch when the spring diameter is approximately 0.375 of an inch.

An air flow nipple 28 is attached to the top wall 17 so as to provide a flow path 29 therethrough in communication with the chamber 23, the fitting 28 being secured in the medial portion of a slanting part 30 of the top wall 17 of the housing 11. In this manner, an air pressure source (not shown) can be interconnected to the nipple 28 by suitable conduit coupling means in a manner well known in the art so that a continuous source of compressed air or pressurized air can be directed into the chamber 23 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The nipple 28 is so constructed and arranged that the same is adapted to direct the air flow into the chamber 23 along a path 31 disposed approximately 15 relative to a vertical axis because the fitting 28 has its passage 29 passing perpendicularly through the slanting portion 30 of the top wall 17 which slants at an angle of 15 relative to the horizontal.

An air deflector plate 32 is disposed in the chamber 23 of the housing means 11 so as to extend across the fluid path 31 of the air flow entering the chamber 23, the deflector plate being disposed at approximately 30 relative to the horizontal axis so as to redirect the air flow into the chamber 23 in substantially the manner illustrated by the arrows to cause a continuous turbulent air flow throughout the chamber 23 and thereby cause a turbulent action on the coiled springs 22 therein.

In this manner, the continuous movement of the air flow into the chamber 23 causes the air flow to be directed toward and into the inlet 25 of the spiral wall 24 and pass out through the only exit means 27 as new air is being directed into the chamber 23 by the nipple 28. Such air flow causes the spring means 22 within the chamber 23 to bounce thereabout and causes an occasional spring 22 to be untangled therefrom and pass in a horizontally disposed manner through the slot 25 in the spiral wall 24 over into the inner coil 26 thereof. When a spring 22 is disposed on the inner coil 26 of the wall 24, the air flow passing longitudinally along the inner coil 26 to the exit 27 causes the spring 22 to be axially discharged out through the opening 27 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 whereby such coiled springs 22 must individually pass into the slot means 25 and once into the last coil 26 of the spiral wall 24, will be serially dispensed out through the exit means 27 by the air flow passing therethrough.

Thus, a separated spring being dispensed out of the exit means 27 can then be fed to an automatic positioning apparatus or to an operator for use in an assembling operation without requiring the automatic apparatus or the operator to untangle the spring from the bulk supply thereof as the apparatus can be continuously operating and feeding separated springs in a serial manner out of the exit means 27 until the same are needed, the unneeded separated springs merely being directed into a hopper means to be subsequently disposed back into the chamber 23 for a subsequent untangling operation thereof in the manner previously described.

In order to adapt the apparatus and method 10 of this invention for springs of a different size, the apparatus 10 can be changed by merely replacing the cover member 19 thereof with another cover member having the spiral wall 24 thereof formed of a different size to accommodate springs of a dif ferent diameter from the diameter of the springs 22 previously described. Therefore, it can be seen that by merely varying the width of the inlet slot 25 of the spiral wall 24 for the particular cover member 19, the same will be adapted to provide separation means for springs of a different diameter.

Accordingly, it can be seen that this invention not only provides an improved apparatus for separating coiled springs or the like, but also this invention provides an improved method of separating coiled springs or the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the patent statutes, other forms may be utilized, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l. A separator device for coiled springs comprising a housing means having a chamber for receiving a supply of said coiled springs, said housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of said springs, said housing having separator means for receiving said springs each in only a separated condition thereof and only in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof while being oriented on its side for only sideways upward movement into said separator means from said chamber and delivering the the same in a serial manner to said exit means, and means for imposing an air flow into said chamber to cause said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in said chamber that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to said separator means.

2. A separator device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for imposing an air flow into said chamber causes said springs to move in a generally annular path in said chamber.

3. A separator device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said annular path is substantially vertically disposed.

4. A separator device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for imposing an air flow into said chamber includes means for directing air under pressure in a stream into said chamber, and a deflector means carried by said housing means and being disposed in the path of said stream to deflect said air stream in said chamber.

5. A separator device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said air stream is disposed at an angle of approximately relative to a vertical axis and said deflector means is disposed at an angle of approximately 30 relative to a horizontal axis.

6. A separator device for coiled springs comprising a housing means having a chamber for receiving a supply of said coiled springs, said housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of said springs, said housing having separator means for receiving said springs in only a separated condition thereof from said chamber and delivering the same in a serial manner to said exit means, and means for imposing an air flow into said chamber to cause said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in said chamber that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to said separator means, said separator means receiving said separated springs only in a generally horizontally disposed condition of said springs.

7. A separator device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said exit means delivers said separated springs in said generally horizontally disposed condition thereof.

8. A separator device for coiled springs comprising a housing means having a chamber for receiving a supply of said coiled springs, said housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of said springs, said housing having separator means for receiving said springs in only a separated condition thereof from said chamber and delivering the same in a serial manner to said exit means, and means for imposing an air flow into said chamber to cause said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in said chamber that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to said separator means, said separator means comprising a spiral wall having a longitudinal opening communicating with said chamber for receiving said separated springs.

9. A separator device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said exit means is coaxially aligned with the smallest coil of said spiral wall.

10. A separator device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said spiral wall is generally horizontally disposed and is located in the top part of said chamber.

11. A method for separating coiled springs comprising the steps of disposing a quantity of said springs in a chamber of a housing means, imposing an air flow into said chamber that causes said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to a separator means that will receive springs each only in the separated condition thereof and only in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof while being oriented on its side for only sideways up ward movement into said separator means, and serially dispensing said springs received in said separator means out of an exit means of said housing means.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said step of imposing said air flow in said chamber causes said springs to move in a generally annular path in said chamber.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said annular path is substantially vertically disposed.

14. A method for separating coiled springs comprising the steps of disposing a quantity of said springs in a chamber of a housing means, imposing an air flow into said chamber that causes said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to a separator means that will receive springs only in the separated condition thereof, and serially dispensing said springs received in said separator means out of an exit means of said housing means, said separator means receiving said separated springs only in a generally horizontally disposed condition of said springs.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said step of serially dispensing said springs includes the step of delivering said separated springs in said generally horizontally disposed condition thereof out of said exit means.

16. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said step of imposing air flow into said chamber includes the step of directing said air under pressure in a stream into said chamber against a deflector means carried by said housing means and disposed in the path of said stream to deflect said air stream in said chamber.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said air stream is disposed at an angle of approximately 15 relative to a vertical axis and said deflector means is disposed at an angle of approximately 30 relative to a horizontal axis.

18. A method for separating coiled springs comprising the steps of disposing a quantity of said springs in a chamber of a housing means, imposing an air flow into said chamber that causes said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to a separator means that will receive springs only in the separated condition thereof, and serially dispensing said springs received in said separator means out of an exit means of said housing means, said separator means comprising a spiral wall having a longitudinal opening communicating with said chamber for receiving said separated springs.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said exit means is coaxially aligned with the smallest coil of said spiral wall.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein said spiral wall is generally horizontally disposed and is located in the top 5 part of said chamber. 

1. A separator device for coiled springs comprising a housing means having a chamber for receiving a supply of said coiled springs, said housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of said springs, said housing having separator means for receiving said springs each in only a separated condition thereof and only in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof while being oriented on its side for only sideways upward movement into said separator means from said chamber and delivering the the same in a serial manner to said exit means, and means for imposing an air flow into said chamber to cause said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in said chamber that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to said separator means.
 2. A separator device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for imposing an air flow into said chamber causes said springs to move in a generally annulAr path in said chamber.
 3. A separator device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said annular path is substantially vertically disposed.
 4. A separator device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for imposing an air flow into said chamber includes means for directing air under pressure in a stream into said chamber, and a deflector means carried by said housing means and being disposed in the path of said stream to deflect said air stream in said chamber.
 5. A separator device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said air stream is disposed at an angle of approximately 15* relative to a vertical axis and said deflector means is disposed at an angle of approximately 30* relative to a horizontal axis.
 6. A separator device for coiled springs comprising a housing means having a chamber for receiving a supply of said coiled springs, said housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of said springs, said housing having separator means for receiving said springs in only a separated condition thereof from said chamber and delivering the same in a serial manner to said exit means, and means for imposing an air flow into said chamber to cause said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in said chamber that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to said separator means, said separator means receiving said separated springs only in a generally horizontally disposed condition of said springs.
 7. A separator device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said exit means delivers said separated springs in said generally horizontally disposed condition thereof.
 8. A separator device for coiled springs comprising a housing means having a chamber for receiving a supply of said coiled springs, said housing having an exit means for the serial ejection of said springs, said housing having separator means for receiving said springs in only a separated condition thereof from said chamber and delivering the same in a serial manner to said exit means, and means for imposing an air flow into said chamber to cause said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action in said chamber that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to said separator means, said separator means comprising a spiral wall having a longitudinal opening communicating with said chamber for receiving said separated springs.
 9. A separator device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said exit means is coaxially aligned with the smallest coil of said spiral wall.
 10. A separator device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said spiral wall is generally horizontally disposed and is located in the top part of said chamber.
 11. A method for separating coiled springs comprising the steps of disposing a quantity of said springs in a chamber of a housing means, imposing an air flow into said chamber that causes said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to a separator means that will receive springs each only in the separated condition thereof and only in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof while being oriented on its side for only sideways upward movement into said separator means, and serially dispensing said springs received in said separator means out of an exit means of said housing means.
 12. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said step of imposing said air flow in said chamber causes said springs to move in a generally annular path in said chamber.
 13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said annular path is substantially vertically disposed.
 14. A method for separating coiled springs comprising the steps of disposing a quantity of said springs in a chamber of a housing means, imposing an air flow into said chamber that causes said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to A separator means that will receive springs only in the separated condition thereof, and serially dispensing said springs received in said separator means out of an exit means of said housing means, said separator means receiving said separated springs only in a generally horizontally disposed condition of said springs.
 15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said step of serially dispensing said springs includes the step of delivering said separated springs in said generally horizontally disposed condition thereof out of said exit means.
 16. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said step of imposing air flow into said chamber includes the step of directing said air under pressure in a stream into said chamber against a deflector means carried by said housing means and disposed in the path of said stream to deflect said air stream in said chamber.
 17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said air stream is disposed at an angle of approximately 15* relative to a vertical axis and said deflector means is disposed at an angle of approximately 30* relative to a horizontal axis.
 18. A method for separating coiled springs comprising the steps of disposing a quantity of said springs in a chamber of a housing means, imposing an air flow into said chamber that causes said coiled springs to be subjected to a turbulent action that tends to separate said springs and cause an occasional spring to be delivered to a separator means that will receive springs only in the separated condition thereof, and serially dispensing said springs received in said separator means out of an exit means of said housing means, said separator means comprising a spiral wall having a longitudinal opening communicating with said chamber for receiving said separated springs.
 19. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said exit means is coaxially aligned with the smallest coil of said spiral wall.
 20. A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein said spiral wall is generally horizontally disposed and is located in the top part of said chamber. 